To start a Friendship, to keep a Friendship
by Sally's Song is My Song
Summary: Dick & Babs have been friends and gotten into more mischief longer then some people realize. My stories for DickBabs; Execute on Tumblr. Day 7, Resolution - Summary: Set right after episode 10 Before the Dawn. Dick gets a late night visitor after the mission. And what it's about, is something that he least expects.
1. Could've been worse

**A/N: This is going to be a collection of the stories I write for DickBabs; Execute on Tumblr.**

**First one;  
**

**Prompt: Beginnings**

Word Count: 1558

Rating: K -K+

Pairings: DickBabs

Summary: Dick didn't want to know if his day could get any worse.

Bruce and Alfred lied.

They lied like the mean liar-heads they were.

And he, Richard John Grayson, was not happy about it. Not at all.

He'd only been living with Bruce and Alfred for three months, but he'd already decided they were trustworthy. Sure it had taken a bit, but they had earned it. Now, though?

Not so much.

They said he'd like school, but this place wasn't like the school he was used to. He's not sure how it happened, but Dick _knows_ that someone must have lied to the adults here, if they think this is school.

He flinched as one of the older boys shoved him against the wall of the building. It didn't hurt to bad – he'd gotten much worse while practicing his acrobatics – but the fact that there were four of them and they were kinda hidden behind the building, made him a little nervous.

School was supposed to be fun! At least it was in the circus. Everyone helped teach him there; the clowns helped with math, the magicians taught him English and grammar, the animal trainers covered science. The guys that worked with the lights and computers let him watch and would teach him some too! But the people here said he was to little to know how to work a mixing board!

He's not little, he's eight! That's only two years until ten, and everyone knows ten year olds are practically grown ups!

Dick decide he wasn't coming back. Sure, it might take some pleading, but if he could learn in the circus, surly Alfred could teach him at the manor. The kids were rude, the teachers were mean, and nobody believes anything he says!

First they didn't believe him when he told them all the stuff he knew – they said he was to _young_ to understand it. Then they said he had to sit in this one chair from the time he gets there at 7:45am until his guardian comes back to get him at 2:45pm. That's seven hours! Seven! One lesson in every subject took _seven hours_ in this place! At the circus he could do the same amount in three hours! When he got to his classroom, the teacher told him to introduce himself to the class, and when he did he got yelled at! All he did was say his name was Dick! Then after the first two lessons his legs started to cramp, so he pulled them up to sit cross-legged in his chair and the teacher, Mr. Banken, yelled at him! Again!

Not moving was supposed to be punishment for a prank! Like when he put shaving cream on the clowns pies instead of whip cream. Or when he mixed up the animal's treats so they all got something different. Or when he used the chandelier in Wayne Manor in place of a trapeze.

Alfred understood and didn't make him sit still. He didn't get mad when Dick would use one hand to hold himself off his chair so his feet were almost touching the table – he only said not to let his feet actually touch it, 'cause that's unhygienic. But he understood that Dick just _couldn't _sit still.

Then while they were doing math, he got _so bored_ cause he already knew it all that he started doodling on his worksheet and when Mr. Banken saw he yelled again and said if he caught Dick discombobulating – what did that even mean! – the class again he'd have to go to the Principal!

What in the world is a Principal!

All in all, Dick was exhausted and it was only twelve. He still had just under three hours left of this horrible place.

The hour before hadn't been to bad. They got to sit however they wanted and read from this one book. It was kinda hard, 'cause there were some big words he'd never seen before, but he didn't want to ask anybody – He figured he'd ask Alfred when he got back to the manor.

Now though, things looked like they were gonna get bad again. They'd finished lunch and now it was recess. Lunch had gone okayish, nobody had sat with him but they'd left him alone, so it wasn't bad. It only got bad when they went outside. Every group he tried to play with ignored him, said they didn't want him to play with them, or in the case of these bigger boys, they shoved him.

"Why would we want to play with a Circus freak charity case?"

Dick didn't know why calling him a circus freak was mean – everyone at the circus had said they were freaks, but they said it like it was an honor – and he wasn't sure what a 'Charity case' was, but he'd heard a lot of people calling him it lately so it must not have been very nice.

Fact was, they didn't seem to like him and he wasn't sure why – he couldn't remember every doing anything to them – and their obvious dislike was making him nervous.

Not for his safety, though. No, Bruce had been teaching him to fight – he could hold his own long enough to get away. What was making him nervous was that he had already gotten in trouble three times today, and Mr. Banken said he'd get sent to this Principal. . . thing if he did anything else.

Dick figured it would be wise if he was on his best behavior for the rest of the day. Or at least until he found out what this Principal thing was, and why it was so bad to go there.

He nor his would-be tormentors got the chance to do anything though, for a red blur had rounded the corner and skidded to a stop in front of Dick, shouting at the group of older boys.

Dick was pretty sure he heard something like 'My dad' and 'jail' and 'teacher' but he couldn't be sure. Though, form the few other words he picked up, this, whatever it was, wasn't new to any of them but Dick, and he was completely at a loss on what to do. By now whatever the blur had said seemed to shake the boys enough to glare at Dick once before shuffling away – mutterings about 'bitchy daddy's girls' following in their wake.

"Hey, are you okay?"

Dick finally stopped looking at the backs of the boys to see his red blur savior was in fact a girl his age. She had blue eyes and some of the reddest hair he'd ever seen. "Uh. . .yeah. I'm fine." He noticed her hand held in front of him and he took it, letting her help him to his feet.

"You're new, right? I know the school year only just started, but I don't remember seeing you last year." She asked, after giving Dick a moment to balance and dust himself off.

"Yes, I- uh am new." He fumbled but manged to stand up straight and hold his hand out like Alfred's manner lessons told. "I'm Dick." He worried for a second as the girl seemed to just stare, but with a glance at his face, she giggled and put her hand in his.

"I'm Barbara!"

Dick grinned, happy that, finally, someone wasn't writing him off as a weirdo immediately. His smile widened when she started pulling him away from the building and back to the playground, letting go of his hand only to link his arm with hers.

"Who's class are you in? I've got Mrs. Clearlon."

Dick pulled a face similar to a scowl, and Barbara took one look before answering for him.

"You've got Mr. Bacon, don't you."

Dick nodded. His teacher must really be something if - "Wait. What did you-?" Dick stopped and Barbara turned back to him, a very familiar glint in her eyes.

"Yes, Dickie?"

That sugary sweet tone; The 'what-ever-do-you-mean' innocent expression – widened eyes, lowered eyebrows, a slight pout and head tilted to the side.

Maybe school wouldn't be so bad after all.

"Nothing, Babs." Dick said, basking in her shock while walking again, him pulling her now. "But, yes. I've got him. He's kind of a jerk."

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed her pace catch up to him, so he wasn't pulling her anymore. "Yup, not a lot of kids like him. There's even been talk around school of someone planing on pranking him."

"Really? Huh, I might know someone who'd want to help." Dick turned his head towards her, she doing the same to him.

"I'll see what I can find out."

Dick didn't think he'd ever been more sure in his life about anything, then thinking right now that he just might have found a best friend.

Only one way to find out.

"Hey, Babs. I've got a question for you."

"Okay, shoot."

"If the opposite of agree is disagree does that mean the opposite of. . ."

* * *

**Sorry if there are any mistakes, it hasn't been beta'd. Hope you liked it! Please tell me what you thought!**


	2. Trolls at the Gala

**A/N: Day 2 – At the Gala. And this takes place a few days after the last one so they're still the same age. Mistakes are my own. Beta reader still MIA.**

Barbara hated these events. The lavish food, the pristine music, the reporter coverage – all of it was just a ridiculous show of 'I'm wealthier than you'.

All in all, Barbara hated Galas with an unholy passion.

Normally she didn't have to go even if her dad did, him being the police commissioner after all. He himself didn't like for her to go to most of them, as he was afraid – though he'd never admit it – Gotham's 'Finest' would rub off on her – and not to mention most of them happened on school nights, and Heaven forbid she be out late on a school night!

So no, she didn't have to go often. But there was one.

And it was the most hated, most dreaded, most boring, the one she had nightmares about. The only one she couldn't get out of, school night or not.

The Gotham City Police Force Benefit.

Oh how she shudders at even the name.

The gala itself wasn't all that bad. She got to wear a nice dress, see her dad get recognition for all the work he does, watch Gotham's wealthy and elite get so drunk they can't tell who's in front of them.

(Barbara remembers one time where a couple was so drunk, they caught one look at her hair and started screaming about Poison Ivy being there to 'kill them all!'. That was by far her favorite party, seeing as her and her dad got to leave three hours early. After that, she always tried to leave her hair down anytime she had to come.)

No, the part she didn't like was that there were plenty of other kids at this one, but they were either as snobbish and bratty as their wealthy parents. Or as mean and rude as their corrupted officer parents.

In other words; she felt like the only kid there.

"Bruce Wayne! Always nice to see someone with they're head on straight at one of these. How are ya doin'?"

Barbara looked behind the pillar she was leaning against in time to see her father shake hands with Gotham's wealthiest man. She knew her dad and Mr. Wayne were pretty close – they had to be when so many of the places and organizations Mr. Wayne sponsors and goes to events for, are the same ones her dad provides bodyguards for – which meant their exchange was going to be boring for her and would not provide the entertainment she desired. What kept her from turning away completely though, was the boy practically glued to Mr. Wayne's side.

Now, Barbara knew she wasn't like most kids, especially those from Gotham. Her dad being the police commish had a bit to do about it. Meaning anytime a crime was big enough to get the news crews to televise it, there was a 98% chance her dad was right in the middle of it all, which in turn meant she had the TV on the news channel whenever he was at work. So she was more than aware of the circus boy Mr. Wayne adopted before summer. What she hadn't been expecting though, was to know him.

How the heck was she supposed to know her new best friend from school was Mr. Wayne's ward? He'd never told her. Though, now that she thought about it, Dick had never told her his last name either. . .

"Doing good, Jim. You? You remember Richard, I hope."

"I'm alright. And of course I remember him. How are settling in, son?"

Barbara was a good girl for the most part. She got good grades, didn't disobey her dad too often and rarely got sent to the principal, but that was only because she didn't get caught. She was a prankster, she liked pulling tricks on people. Not big elaborate ones, just small things that people were more inclined to say were accidents or the wind than someone's deliberate doing.

Her dad affectionately called her his little troll.

And right here, right now. She knew her dad and Mr. Wayne were about to give her a chance to pull a great one. Now she just had to wait and hope Dick would notice and play along – which he should. Despite only knowing him for five days, she could already tell he was just like her. If he helped, neither of them would be bored for the rest of the night.

"It's going good, sir."

"That's great to hear."

"How's your daughter, Jim?"

Perfect.

"Great. She's with me here tonight. Not sure where she got off, though."

Barbara couldn't have asked for a better opening. She quickly glanced around, planing her route, before taking off as fast as her heeled shoes would let her. She waited until she was close enough that at least Mr. Wayne saw her, then flung out her arms and practically tackled Dick – the only thing that kept them off the ground being his reflexes and good balance.

"Dickie!" While Barbara prided herself on acting mature at the galas, she couldn't keep the real excitement and joy from her voice as she hugged him. If he was Bruce Wayne ward, then maybe that meant he'll be coming to more off these and she'd finally have someone to hang out with? Her smile grew when she felt Dick hug her back, hard, an almost questioning "Babs?" breathed against her ear.

"I didn't know you were going to be here!" She laughed as she pulled back, keeping her arms wrapped around his neck. She could see her dad and Mr. Wayne having a silent conversation in her peripheral vision, and knew as Dick held her waist loosely and caught her eye, he saw it as well. And the mischief in her own eyes sparkling back at her from his, told he'd play along.

"Yeah, I didn't want to stay home, so Bruce let me come." He leaned closer as if to tell a secret, and she had to keep in a giggle as she noticed her dad's eyes widen. "Though if I'd known how boring they were I would have stayed home." He pulled back again and said at a normal tone, "But if you come to these parties, then they can't be all bad?"

Barbara had known he'd play along if she was able to get him to see what she was planing, but this? This was going even better then she'd hoped.

"I don't come to a lot of them, and when I do they're pretty boring. But if your going to be at them, I might start coming more." Okay, so she might by laying it a bit thick. But who could blame her when her dad was sputtering and hissing, while Mr. Wayne tried to calm him down?

Speaking of Mr. Wayne.

He came up, leaving her dad to his 'my baby girl's to young to be hugging a boy like that!' mutterings, and placed a hand on Dick's shoulder – prompting Dick to let go of her with a grin.

She grinned back and turned to Mr. Wayne, waving and sending a cheery "Good evening, Mr. Wayne! How are you?" at him. She cuddled into her dad's side when he put his arm around her shoulders, and watched as Mr. Wayne and Dick exchange a glance. Dick looked away first, his eyes finding the floor in what would be a shy manner, if it wasn't for the huge grin. While Mr. Wayne cleared his throat – was that a snort she heard? – before answering her.

"I'm doing well, Barbara." He smiled at her and glanced at her dad, laying his hand on Dick's shoulder

again. "I wasn't aware you and Dick had met?"

"We go to the same school and have got the same lunch and recess!" She said. She smiled up at her dad. "Remember, daddy? I told you there was a new boy at school and we were friends!"

That was only partially true. She did tell him, but he'd just woken up after three overnights at work and he hadn't had any coffee yet. But she couldn't resist teasing him a bit more, and by his wide eyes it was worth it.

Now to relieve her's, and Dick's, boredom.

"Daddy, Mr. Wayne, could Dick and I go and explore?" She asked before her dad could start interrogating Dick. She turned to Mr. Wayne, she knew her dad couldn't say no – he already let her roam free – which left it up to him. Dick turned to him as well, his eyes seeming to magically grow double their normal size.

Just as he opened his mouth, Barbara slide up to Dick, linked her arm with his and forced her own puppy eyes onto Mr. Wayne. Maybe it was overkill, but she didn't know him very well, so it was better safe than sorry.

And apparently safe works! Mr. Wayne took one look at them, then waved his hand in a 'go' motion. Barbara didn't need to be told twice. Grabbing Dick's hand, she was already hurrying away when Mr. Wayne yelled, "Be good and stay in the building!" at their backs.

With a wink at Dick she rushed them passed the finely dressed party goers, and to the back of the ballroom. Taking a moment to glance around, she opened the hallway door and pushed Dick through.

"Babs, where are we going?"

She grinned at him, the one that foretold mischief, and set off at a brisk pace down the hall. "We're going to get some _real_ desserts!"

"Alfred says I'm not supposed to have sweets after dark." Dick said, a grin as big as her's forming on his face. Even though his word were that of a obedient kid, his eyes shone with the same mischief as hers. The shine that said she wasn't going to be the only one on a sugar high tonight.

"Don't worry, these events last _for-ever! _You'll be awake anyway." She said her grin getting wider.

There was no doubt in her mind that she'd finally found a best friend.

**A/N: Thanks to AsianRapunzel for reviewing and to the people who favorite or started following this. Please tell me what you think! I can't get better if I don't know what's good or bad!**


	3. Fireworks

Author: Sally'sSongisMySong

Prompt: Day 3 - Loss

Word Count: 1515

Rating: T for minor curse words

Pairings: DickBabs

Summary: Her fault. It was all her fault. Barbara knew it wasn't healthy to dwell, but what else was there to do? Young Justice Headcanon 116 used.

**A/N: Beta still MIA, so possible mistakes. They're about sixteen-ish in this one. Thank you AsianRapunzel for helping keep me inspired to finish this! I stayed up til 3am after reading your message!  
**

Her fault. It was all her fault.

Barbara knew it wasn't healthy to dwell as long as she has on it. It wasn't going to change the past. It wasn't going to make anything better. It still happened, it was still her fault, and there was still nothing she or anyone else could do to fix it.

It shouldn't have been a big deal. It didn't seem to be any of the major villains, it didn't match any of their normal M.O.'s. She's pretty sure that was the first slip up. They assumed.

"Barbara?"

Barbara blinked, her vision clearing to show Artemis and Bette's concerned faces. Taking stock of her surrounding she surmised she must have more or less zoned out in the food court of the Gotham mall. An embarrassed blush stained her cheeks as she avoided Artemis' understanding gaze, choosing instead to focus on Bette. "Sorry, must have let my mind wander. What did you say?" she asked with a small smile. Avoiding Artemis would surely come back and bite her in the ass, but she really didn't want to listen to another 'I-understand-what-you're-going-through' talk – she heard enough of them already.

No, what she wanted was to be in her room, far away from human – and alien and meta-human – contact. She'd rather be anywhere but here at the mall. Rather be screaming at the injustice of the world, then watching little tweens bitch out their parents to their friends because 'mommy and daddy didn't buy me a new phone'. Or, even better, actually out looking for the Penguin!

Instead, she was benched from all hero work until Batman states otherwise, nobody could look her in the eye without A) flinching B) Smile big _fake_ smiles or C) giving her understanding looks and trying to tell her their stories, and she didn't have any excuses for why she was refusing to go to the mall with Bette, so she had to go.

"I was saying that Arty and I were going to head over to EarthBound, do you wanna come?" Bette asked, already standing with her purse on her shoulder.

"No, I'm not feeling to well. I'll probably just hang out here for a few more minutes then leave." She was worse off then she realized, if she didn't even believe herself. But thankfully, they must have noticed she really didn't want to talk, as neither of them mentioned it.

"Stay?" Artemis asked, placing a hand on her arm. "Bette and I'll go over to EarthBound for a few minutes and get what we need. And if you're still feeling bad when we get back we'll leave. But I'd really prefer you not drive."

As much as Barbara really wanted to leave, she couldn't blame Artemis for asking, and nodded her head in agreement.

Artemis hugged her in thanks and Bette squeezed her hand. "We'll stop and get a movie or something on our way home, okay?" Bette tossed over her shoulder as they left.

Barbara's answer was a smile – she just didn't have energy for anything else.

Putting her elbow on the table, she sighed as her head dropped into her hand.

It was her fault. She didn't double check. He was on break when they evacuated the building. He'd come in the back entrance; they'd left from the front. His office was in a corner, he worked alone. Nobody saw him. The bomb was about to go off, she'd already checked the hallway his office was in. She left. Got out of there as fast as she could.

A woman lost her husband. A little girl lost her father.

A man died and it was all her fault.

Barbara felt the sting of tears in her eyes and forced them back. She'd already cried for two days, there shouldn't be any tears left. She didn't need to cry, she should be out looking for Penguin! It was one of his bombs! He planted it! He set it off! He-

"Is this seat taken?"

Barbara jolted in her seat, the voice scaring her from her thoughts. She composed herself the best she could, forcing back any wayward tears, before lifting her eyes from their previously unmoving gaze of the table to an all to familiar set of blue eyes.

"What do you want, Dick?" She asked turning her eyes from his. He took that as an invitation and pulled out the seat across from hers, dropping into it in a way that shouldn't be as graceful as it was.

"What? I can't just want to hang out with my best friend?" He said, leaning his head on his hand.

"Wally's your best friend."

His eyes widened and he placed his hands on his chest, over his heart. "I'm hurt, Babs. That hurt right here." He patted his chest for emphasis. "And I can have more than one best friend you know. Wally's my best guy friend and you're my best girl friend!" He grinned, assured that his logic was sound.

Barbara almost felt sorry for what she was going to say. Almost.

"You better not let your other girlfriends hear that." She said, not really caring if she was being mean. Dick was a big boy, he could handle her mood. He was the one to seek her out after all.

She watched in only slight amusement as Dick tried to figure out what was different in what she said and what he himself had. She took advantage of his distraction to stand, grab her bag and start walking, not really caring where she was going at this point. It was only a moment before she felt Dick's familiar presence beside her.

"You had a space." He said breaking the silence. She kept walking, knowing he'd elaborate whether she said anything or not. And he didn't disappoint.

"You're my best girl space friend." He shot a soft smile at her, one that even she didn't get to see often anymore. "It means your more important than the rest of them."

Barbara snorted, eying him curiously as he fiddled with his phone. "Isn't it supposed to be the other way around?" She asked.

He put his phone in his pocket, "Nope. No one is more important than you. Wanna know why?" He jumped onto the side of the wishing fountain beside them.

"Why, Richard?" She asked, using his full name to annoy him. It didn't seem to work, as his smile grew and he tucked his hand into his pocket.

"Because, Babs. You're a Firework."

She, along with everyone in the vicinity, jumped as Katy Perry's Firework started blaring from the speakers. She couldn't hold back an incredulous laugh as Dick, Richard Grayson, her best friend for the past seven years, started singing and doing something that must have been his version of dancing.

She almost turned tail and ran when he did a front flip off his perch on the fountain and started strutting towards her, but before she could decide, he was grabbing her hands and forcing her into a mockery of a waltz, all while still singing.

"'Cause, baby, you're a firework! Come on, show 'em what you're worth! Make 'em go 'Oh, oh, oh'! As you shoot across the sky-y-y!"

Without really noticing, Barbara was laughing as Dick twirled her on the 'Oh's' and lifted her up during the 'sky'. With the rest of the song following in much the same fashion; Dick forcing her to dance with him in embarrassing forms of every dance style she could think of – with the next style being more embarrassing than the last. Until finally the song was done and she was left, out of breath from dancing and laughing, in the middle of a cheering crowd, with Dick's arms still wrapped around her waist holding her against him.

"Feeling better?"

She looked up at him, that soft smile she seldom got to see on his face directed right at her, and she turned away with a blush. Leave it to Dick to decide to cheer her up by making an embarrassing impromptu song and dance show, sweet and thoughtful.

"Babs, you did everything right. There was nothing you could have done differently that would have made it better." He pulled her closer, tucking her head into his neck so he was talking into her ear. "Just because we're heroes, doesn't mean we can save everyone." He brushed her hair back and placed a kiss to her forehead, whispering against it, "Some people just die, no matter what we do."

She felt tears threatening to start again, and didn't hold them back this time. She only hugged herself closer to Dick and let them and herself fall. She knew, even if they were in the middle of a crowded mall, with people watching their every move – Dick would always be there to catch her.

Even the times when she didn't realize she was falling.

**A/N: Thanks so much for the reviews, favs, and follows! Please continue to tell me what you think!n For those who might not get it, it's supposed to be the first time Babs lost a civilian. Whether it's the first time ever or just the first without Batman or Robin/Nightwing there, even I'm not sure.  
**


	4. Snow Falling

**Author: Sally'sSongisMySong**

**Prompt: Snowstorm**

**Word Count: 2302**

**Rating: T for minor curse words**

**Pairings: DickBabs**

**A/N: This might be crap. I couldn't write worth anything earlier, and had to force most of this out. I did get inspired during the ending though! Possible mistakes, my Beta's still having a bad week. And I have no clue about Freeze, so I just sorta guessed?**

Shit.

Nightwing ran, trees rushing past in blurred hues of green, brown, and white. He duck and swerved around branch after branch, the snow almost blinding him but his pace never stopped, his gaze never wavering from where he could just barely make out Batgirl's silhouette in the tree line.

He should have known it wasn't just a low level criminal. Should have recognize the signs – an abandoned science research facility, more than just a few diamond heists pulled in the past months, multiple chemistry labs broken into. He should have known, should have never even thought about letting the rookies come. He was the leader! He should have seen it! He was trained by the damn _Batman_!

Instead the Team we're fighting against a blizzard to get back to the Bio-ship with their lives, while Mister Freeze himself was fighting against Batgirl.

She wasn't ready to fight him alone – hell, none of them were ready! As far as he was concerned, they could all spend their hero careers never even seeing a Gotham villain!

Breaking through the tree cover, his heart almost stopped as he watched Freeze aim his ice gun at Batgirl's feet, causing her to slip towards the edge of the cliff on the newly formed ice, then swinging the butt of his gun at her head forcing her the rest of the way over.

"BATGIRL!" Nightwing didn't think about fighting Freeze, didn't think about leaving the Team on their own with only the order to stay on the ship, he didn't even think about his families death. All he thought about was Batgirl's still form being shoved off the cliff. With just enough of a glance at Freeze to toss a few batarangs at his helmet – in the hopes that it'd crack so Freeze would be forced to retreat – he dove off the cliff after her, tucking in his body to try and catch up to her faster.

With the blizzard it was hard to tell how far of a drop the cliff had, and Nightwing didn't know if he'd even be able to get a hold on the icy cliff-side with a grapple, but he could breath again when it finally seemed like he was getting closer to her. She was unconscious from what he could tell – he wasn't sure if she'd even been conscious when she was thrown – and he held her as tight as he could, when he could finally grab her.

A slight break in the wind showed them nearer to the ground than Nightwing would have liked, and he quickly pulled out his grapple gun. Turning so his back was to the ground, he held Batgirl as close to his chest as he could, bending his back so he was curled around her, and shot a grapple at the cliff-side. Even if it didn't hold maybe it'd be able to slow their decent enough to not kill them. With a quick prayer, he braced himself the best he could. He heard more than felt a pop when they abruptly stopped. He found he couldn't focus any longer, and the grapple gun slipped through his suddenly _**lax**_ fingers.

It was a small mercy, black over took his vision and his mind before they hit.

* * *

Cold. Wet and cold.

That's what Nightwing woke up to. His body ached, his arm was screaming in pain, and there was an odd amount of pressure laying on his chest. It took more effort then he'd care to admit just to get his eyes opened and to stay open, but what he saw cleared the confusion hanging over his head.

He slowly and carefully, his back screaming all the while, leaned up into a sitting position, holding Batgirl securely against him with his left arm – his right arm, hanging in a way that could only mean a dislocated shoulder, told him why it was pulsing in pain. Shifting Batgirl to lean against his chest more, he turned on the communicator in his ear.

"Nightwing to Team. Do you read me?" Static. Honestly, he hadn't excepted anything less.

_'Miss Martian, can you hear me? M'gann?'_

Sighing, he turned the communicator back on to relay a message, knowing there was a chance they'd get it when the blizzard cleared some. "Nightwing to Team. Batgirl and I are incapacitated. We are at the bottom of the cliff with no means of getting back to you, and will take shelter in the trees. Report to the League that Mister Freeze was here, and request immediate back up from any members that won't be slowed down by the storm. Tell them to come as soon as possible. Stay where you are, there is no point for you to get lost as well, or run the risk of getting seen by Mister Freeze. Nightwing out."

His hand dropped from the communicator, eyes closing as he willed the ever approaching darkness away, then set about getting himself and Batgirl looked over. She had a knot the size of Metropolis on her head, and her ragged breathing foretold possible bruised ribs, but other-wise seemed fine. Taking stock on himself, he determined he was in about the same state as her; with a bruised back and a dislocated shoulder but no life threatening issues.

Placing Batgirl on the ground, he stood, almost falling back down as he stumbled to the cliff side. He braced his shoulder against it and pushed, a quick tug and pull on his arm at the same time forced a straggled scream from him as he tried to reset his shoulder. He must have blacked out for a moment, because he found himself sitting now, his arm throbbing painfully but, thankfully, duller then before.

He pushed himself up, a dizzying motion, and back towards where Batgirl lay – grabbing a stick to use as a make-shift splint on the way.

Doing his best to lift Batgirl, he held her to his side and used the cliff-side to lean on, to both help distribute their weight off of just him, and to make sure they didn't get lost in the woods. After stumbling some hundred feet, he noticed an outcropping in the rock in front of them and forced his resisting body towards it.

What must have been a slightly bigger than average animal den greeting him, and he wasted no time laying Batgirl down as best he could inside. It wasn't very big, but they could both fit and it kept them out of the blizzard and, if he was still out there, Freeze's sight for the most part.

He collapsed to the ground beside Batgirl's head, his fatigue finally catching up to him, his eyes closing of their own will. What could have been a few minutes or a few hours later his eyes were snapping back open as the pain of someone touching his messed up arm took him from sleep. His eyes clenched shut from pain before he could get a look at the person with him. Whoever it was must have known him tensing wasn't because of pain, and they finished what they were doing quickly.

As his arm steadily stopped pulsing he notice the blood rushing through his ears had kept him from hearing his guest's words. Forcing his breathing to even out, the first strands of conversation drifted in.

"-mean really. Whoever did this number on you must have really been something. I was working on your arm for at least five minutes before you finally realized!"

He knew the voice, but the mind numbing pain was making him think a bit slower than normal He tried to answer – to ask who they were – but all that came out was a groan.

"I know. We'll have to keep that part from Batsy – wouldn't want him thinking you're losing your touch."

With more effort than it should have called for, Nightwing got his eyes opened and found himself staring at a pair of eyes almost as familiar as his own.

"There are my favorite blue eyes." Batgirl said, sighing in relief. She shifted closer, molding her body to his. "I was starting to think you'd never wake up. How are you feeling? I know, stupid question, but I have to ask."

He lifted his good arm and gently pulled her over so they were leaning against each other, huffing out an incredulous laugh. "You're the one who took on Freeze by herself, then got thrown off a cliff; and you're asking _me_ how I feel?"

She smiled softly, happy to see he was coherent enough to know what happened, and tucked her head under his chin, answering into his chest, "No, I'm asking how the idiot how who dove off after me is doing."

Her head moved as he chuckled, his arm holding her just a bit tighter. "How do you know an idiot dove off?"

"Because, my first month trying to learn to use a grappling hook, I dislocated my shoulder more times than I care to admit – and your shoulder looks just like mine did."

Nightwing grinned just a bit. Even though she hadn't been doing this near as long as him, the detective side of it came so naturally to her. His grin fell quickly though, Batgirl's attitude starting to worry him slightly. She'd just almost died and she was teasing him like nothing was wrong.

"How _are _you doing?" He asked carefully, not wanting her to know what he was leading to yet.

"Fine." She shrugged. "I mean, my body is kinda sore and my head feels like someones doing a tapdance in it, but over all, fine." She lifted her head to his so they were eye level. He knew right then she'd already figured out what he wasn't asking. "I'm aware I could have died, it's a occupational hazard, but I'm not freaking out right now because I knew I wouldn't." She placed her hand on his cheek and kissed it, laying her head on his chest again after. "Just before Freeze hit me, I saw you break through the tree. I knew you wouldn't let me fall."

His cheeks warmed in a blush, something that didn't happen often.

"Where are the others?"

Nightwing sighed. He knew where he'd told them to go, but he didn't know if they'd actually done just that or not, and he told her as such.

"So there's about a fifty-fifty chance they're on the Bio-ship. Did you get a message to them with the comm.?"

"Tried. Don't know if it got through or not – it was static on their end. And Miss Martian's mindlink is offline."

"So either the storm is blocking the comms. or we're out of range."

"Pretty much." He said. Both of them shifted minutely closer to ward off the cold, they slipped into a comfortable silence after that. Batgirl glanced thoughtfully over at the snow blowing passed the entrance to there hideaway.

"Hey, Dick?"

"Yeah?"

She grinned and pointed to the snow. "Remember that huge snowstorm from when we we're fourteen?"

He turned a thoughtful look to the snow. "The one that had you and Wally stuck at the manor for five days?"

"Yeah, that one." Her expression changed to what Dick affectionately called her Trolling face. "Remember how Alfred kicked us out of the house on day three? After we almost destroyed the kitchen, trying to make snow-cones?"

Dick's expression changed to the twin of her's. "and Wally snuck out the snow-cone syrup and decided to use the snow outside for his snow-cone since we couldn't go inside?"

She continued for him. "But he tripped and sent cherry syrup flying onto the snowman I was making-"

"And I said it reminded me of a zombie snowman now-"

"So we spent the next four hours making the front yard into a snowman zombie apocalypses battleground-"

"Complete with cherry syrup blood Wally had gone to buy from any grocery store that was open-"

"And the news crew that followed Bruce back to the manor after his business trip, got footage of and it was being considered a death threat to you and Bruce-"

"Until Bruce released a statement saying, it wasn't a threat just a prank and he knew who was responsible and it had already been taken care of-"

"Which was code for giving Alfred the day off and him joining us in turning the backyard into a superhero versus supervillain snowman battlefield?"

They stared for a moment before bursting into laughter together. The next hour was spent reliving every snowday they could recall. Not even noticing the storm outside slowing down, until they heard voices outside yelling their names and a voice echoing the same in their heads.

With one last grin to the other, they got themselves out of the den, voices yelling back to their friends. Neither of them would say it, but they'd missed their easy friendship. With Jason and Tula dieing, Roy going AWAL, Kaldur's betrayal, and Artemis and Wally's sudden departure of the team – they hadn't had much down time to just be themselves. To stop being Nightwing and Batgirl, and just be Dick and Babs.

Even if their near-death scare had shaken them more than they let on, found out M'gann and the rookies had taken on Mister Freeze, Nightwing's shoulder had been worse than they thought and he had to be off active duty for the next month, the few hours together had been worth it, and neither of them would change a thing.

**A/N: Let me know what you think, please? Thanks to all who read and review!**


	5. Family Matters

**Author: Sally'sSongisMySong**

**Prompt: Family**

**Word Count: 1100ish**

**Rating: T for minor curse words**

**Pairings: DickBabs**

**A/N: This might be crap, I wrote it in two hours while watching Pitch Perfect with my family. I had another better idea but it was getting to long and I had no hope of finishing it, so it'll be its own story later.**

**1. Daddy wont let me leave.**

"Hey, Barbara?"

Barbara looked up from her book to see Cassie standing in front of her chair, fiddling almost nervously with her lasso. Barbara, sensing a problem, put her book on the table and gestured for Cassie to take the seat next to her – she did after a moments hesitation.

"What's up, Cassie?" Barbara asked. Cassie bit her lip, opened her mouth, then closed it again. It happened twice more and Barbara was almost ready to just grab her book again, when Cassie moved and Barbara found herself with a lap full of Wonder Girl.

"Okay, Barb. You know how Nightwing's been planing that big team training day since forever but he didn't tell us when it would be until today?"

"Yes-"

"Well, I have really important plans that can't be rescheduled, but Nightwing wont hear me out!"

"What kinda plans, Cassie?" Barbara asked. Even though Nightwing said everyone had to be there, she knew Cassie wouldn't be asking for help if it wasn't actually important.

"It's- Well. . .it's my mom's birthday. And we have this big party planed, but if we do the training, then I definitely wont be home in time!"

"Wait," Barbara held her hand up to stop Cassie before she started up again. "It's your mom's birthday? Did you tell Nightwing that?"

"I tried!" Cassie through her hands up then, slumped against the couch. "I heard a couple of the guys earlier trying to get him to reschedule it, and they kept recruiting the others into asking too – I'm pretty sure they thought he would if enough people asked – so I think he thought I was just doing it too. I didn't even get two words in before he said that nobody was excluded. No exceptions!"

Barbara hugged the distraught girl, mentally planing the best way to torture the boys in training today, as they were partially to blame for this mess. "Hey, look. You go ahead and go home, I'll take care of Nightwing."

"But-"

"No buts." she said, flicking Cassie's forehead. "I know for a fact if the guys hadn't been annoying him, he would have listened then let you leave. I'm just going to tell him what you told me, okay?"

"Really? Thank you so much, Barbara!" Cassie squeezed Barbara tight around her shoulders before taking off out the door.

Now, Barbara had a group of boys to torment, and a best friend to smack.

**2. Mom's letting sister cook again.**

"Bart, Jaime? What are you doing?"

Nightwing placed a hand on both of their shoulders and they jumped. They turned to each other, seemingly having a conversation, before they each grabbed an arm and dragged Nightwing away from the doorway they'd been peeking around.

"Please, hermano, tell us you have a mission we can go on!" Jaime said as soon as they were a hallway away, while Bart nodded his head behind him – at a speed only a speedster could.

". . .Why?" Nightwing asked, suspicious as to why they were so adamant about leaving again when they'd only just gotten back.

Another silent conversation happened, Bart being elected this time to answer. "Barbara's trying to teach Cassie how to cook again."

Oh. Oh, God.

"Okay, here's what's going to happen." Nightwing was suddenly in leader mode, Bart and Jaime falling into their roles as well. "Bart, you go and – wait. Where's Robin?"

They pointing in sync to the direction of the kitchen. "We tried to warn him, but he it was to late. They got him." Jaime said. Bart dropped his head in sadness.

"We had a moment of silence for him."

Nightwing ducked his head in sympathy for his little brother, a moment, then he was all business again. "At this point it's every person for themselves. Bart, go find out the ETA of everyone who was on a mission. They should all be on their way back now." Bart saluted – something he picked up from Gar – before speeding off. "Jaime, go see if you can get Robin mobile enough to get him out of here with us." Jaime's armor covered him and he flew down the hall. That left him to inform Babs of a last minute 'mission' he'd just remembered the three boys and he needed to do.

**3. Caught by wrong 'parent'.**

"What. The. Hell. Do you think, you're doing?"

Bart, Garfield, Jaime, and Robin turned to the door, turned to each other, then immediately hid what was in there hands.

"I said; What are you doing."

Within the hour all four boys were in the hanger armed with toothbrushes, and buckets while Barbara sat in a lounge chair with a book.

"You better make this place sparkle, boys."

This was not what the boys had hoped to happen. If only Nightwing had been the one to catch them.

**1. Help your parents.**

"Conner, put Nightwing down on this couch. Mal, put Barbara down on the other."

"Got it, Karen. Hey! Barbara's got a pretty nasty cut on her arm!"

"What? We checked! Crap. . . Mal, can you pick her back up and bring her back to her room?"

"Yeah, got it."

"Hey! I've got both first aid kits!"

"Great, Bart! Bring one back to the girls would ya? Don't forget to knock!"

Dick's eyes opened, awareness coming back slowly. They closed again, his ears catching the sound of talking from the other side of the couch. With effort, he pushed himself up, the movement catching the attention of the group in the kitchen.

"Nightwing! You're awake!"

Bart was at his side and pulling him up within seconds. "Come on! We made dinner!"

Dick let Bart pull him over to the table to greet everyone. Smiling at the meal laid out on the table. After depositing Dick at the table, he rushed out the door. Cassie pulled a chair put for him and he sit. "Bart was about to go get Barbara, M'Gann said she was awake, when you woke up, so they'll be back soon. In the mean time we cooked!"

"I see that, did you help?" It looked great, and Dick really hoped she hadn't

"Not really. I was helping patch Barbara up."

Dick shot a wide eyed stare to everyone around the table. "Is she okay?"

"She's fine." Dick turned to the door where Barbara and Bart stood. Walking in she hugged Tim as she passed his chair. "What's all this?"

"Well, we figured you and Nightwing are always taking care of us, it was only right if we do it for you!"

Dick and Barbara shared a glance. They might have to act like parents every couple of days, it was times like these that they honestly loved that everyone came to them. It was like they were a family.

**A/N: Thanks for favs,follows, and reviews!**


	6. Necklaces and Lanyard Bracelets

**Of Necklaces and Lanyard Bracelets**

**Author: Sally'sSongisMySong**

**Prompt: Gift**

**Word Count: 600**

**Rating: K - K+**

**Pairings: DickBabs**

**Summary: Barbara wears a necklace. Dick wears a lanyard bracelet. They never take them off even as Batgirl and Nightwing. A little bit of Young Justice headcanons 78 & 354 added in.**

**A/N: This is short because I have to write tomorrows story as well today. I'm leaving for my grandparents at seven in the morning and they don't have internet so I'll have to post that before I leave in the morning! Sorry for any mistakes, Beta still feeling bad.**

**P.S. To the person who reviewed under the name 'Guest that reads' since I can't reply to you by email; Thank you so much! I appreciate you saying that, and I'm glad you liked them! Hope you like this one too!  
**

Barbara has been wearing the same necklace for years. Batgirl has that same necklace on under her suit.

It was a gift from Dick the day he told her he was Robin.

He'd brought her to the park and had stumbled through an explanation. She hadn't known how to react, so she let instinct take over.

She slapped him. Hard. Multiple times.

She left after that, tears stinging in her eyes. She ignored all his calls the rest of the day, even had her dad tell him she was gone when he came to her house.

But, as fate would have it, it just so happened Joker decided to hold a party hostage that night. One hosted by Wayne Enterprises.

She hadn't been mad at Dick – she'd been scared. All she could think of were all the times Robin had gotten injured. And now, here he was in danger as Richard.

She stayed up watching the news coverage, until exhaustion settled in and she fell asleep leaning on the window.

She woke up in her bed the next morning with a new accessory around her neck.

At school, he didn't mention it and neither did she, but she knew they were both more than aware of the small red wing with two blue stones charm hanging on a sliver chain around her neck.

* * *

Dick wears a lanyard bracelet on his right wrist. Nightwing wears the same lanyard bracelet under his right glove.

He knew it went against Batman's rules to wear the same thing in both persona's – doesn't matter if you can't see it under his glove – but he didn't care. Barbara gave it to him years ago and he hasn't taken it off yet, and he doesn't plan to anytime soon – secret identity be damned.

On the first patrol Batgirl ever did on her own, Robin tailed her.

He'd been worried out of his mind about her. Bruce hadn't let him out on his own until he'd been Robin for a year and some months. Barbara had only been Batgirl for nine months. So he defected from his own patrol route and he ended up tailing her for the entire patrol. Dick was pretty sure she knew but she never confronted him, so he figured it'd be best to not to mention it.

The pattern continued for two months before Dick finally realized she could handle herself. On the night she was going to be staying at the manor to make it easier to patrol – Alfred had called her dad and said she'd fallen asleep in the middle of her's and Dick's history project and he didn't want to try and wake her – Dick forced himself to stay on his own side of the city.

After they got back and crashed, Dick woke up with a red and black lanyard bracelet on his wrist. On closer inspection he found a small blue bat symbol embroidered on the underside.

He didn't point it out at breakfast, but he caught Barbara smiling at him when he started fiddling with it.

* * *

It was funny at times. They'd had them for so long that, while neither were overly superstitious, it felt like something would happen if they were to take them off.

Wally had asked on more than one occasion where it came from – as had Cassie and M'gann to Barbara – but the two were tight lipped about it.

They were gifts to each other, during times that they had shown they trusted the other exponentially. Where it was both an apology and a thank you. Nobody but them needed to know that.

**A/N: Thanks for all the reviews, follows, and favs!**


	7. In the Light of Dawn

**In the Light of Dawn**

**Author: Sally'sSongisMySong**

**Prompt: Resolution**

**Word Count: **

**Rating: T more minor language **

**Pairings: DickBabs**

**Summary: Set right after episode 10 Before the Dawn. Dick gets a late night visitor after the mission. And what it's about, is something that he least expects. **

**A/N: Hopefully I used the prompt word right, lol! Thanks to everyone that read these! Hope my possible mistakes in any of them didn't deter you from enjoying them! I stayed up til five writing this, so I hope it's at least alright! Again, sorry for any mistakes!**

Nightwing collapsed onto the bed in his apartment, finally taking off his mask to be Dick Grayson again.

Changing into sweatpants and a shirt, he laid back and let himself just breath for the first time in almost two weeks. La'gaan, Bart, Jaime, Garfield, and all the missing kids were back safe and sound. That left only two true worries; M'gann's catatonic state, and the radio silence from Artemis and Kaldur's side. Honestly he hadn't been expecting to hear from them anytime soon, but from the play-by-play Gar gave, Dick was starting to think the worse had happened.

He pulled himself up to a seated position and listened. Shifting his gaze towards the door as the sound of knocking happened again. While someone knocking on his door wasn't that unusual; someone knocking at a little past three in the morning in Blüdhaven was. Grabbing the bamboo stick he kept beside the dresser, he held it behind his back as he walked softly to the door, putting a smoke pellet in his pocket as well. Taking a deep breath, he flipped the locks and threw the door open, the bamboo stick ready to swing around when needed. . .except it wouldn't be needed.

Barbara stood in front of him, bags dark and heavy under her eyes. She looked at him like she thought he would disappear if she turned away. Dick didn't know what had happened in the hour and a half he hadn't seen her, but by the looks of it; it hadn't been good.

Taking her hand, he led her to the couch and set her down with a gentle command not to move. Retreating to the kitchen, he kept an eye on her as he went about making the tea he kept here just for her – figuring, at this point, it was probably going to be a long night.

Picking up the finished mugs, he placed one in her hand and kept the other for himself as he settled in next to her, to wait for her to talk. He didn't have to wait long before she was tucking her legs to chest, her tea abandoned on the table.

"Jason's dead, Tula's dead, and now Artemis. I don't think I can do it anymore, Dick." She sniffled in the way Dick knew meant she was trying not break down. With most crying girls, Dick would be the first to say he was useless, but this was Barbara, she wasn't most girls.

Putting his own mug on the table, he shifted closer to her, pulling her partially into his arms. "Hey, hey. It's going to be okay." He said, moving her hair away from her eyes. "But I need you to tell me what you're talking about, so I can help. Okay?"

"This, Dick. That's what's wrong. Us!" This was getting into a topic Dick didn't know if he was ready to have yet. But, as much as he didn't want to ask, Barbara was and has been his best friend and he'd do anything for her. Even let the one topic he wanted to avoid, come up.

Steeling his nerves he let the question to seal his fate fall from his lips,"What's wrong with us?"

"Everything! I know we talked about it – agreeing that it'd be best not to pursue anything with each other while we were both still on the team – but that doesn't change that I want to!"

"Babs–" He started but she interrupted, shoving him off to start pacing.

"It doesn't change that I thought it was stupid to begin with! That I wanted to slap you when you suggested it. That I wanted to slap ever girlfriend you had after that! We could have died tonight, Dick! Any one of us could have died! And you want to know what kept going through my mind? That we never even got to try! To try being something more! I've know you since we were nine Dick. You've been my best friend for ten years. And lately it's felt like before, before you told me you were Robin. I feel like you've been keeping secrets again. And I- I just don't know what to do anymore." Dropping her hands to the side, Dick wasn't sure he'd ever seen her look so broken.

When he'd said that he had thought it would be better. That whatever they had, would just fade and they'd continue being the best friends they'd always been, without that messy possible break-up scenario hovering above them – that was before he discovered his super power of staying friends with ex's.

He must have been quiet for to long and Barbara must have taken his silence as rejection, as she was almost to the door. He knew he only had the time it took her to unlock the door left, but he still wasn't sure if he wanted to take the risk, especially with all the secrets he was still going to be keeping from her.

But one look at her hunched and shaking shoulders answered for him. If the world was going to Hell in a hand-basket, he was going to make damn sure she was right beside him.

"I can't promise I wont keep secrets, Babs – I was trained by the most paranoid man in Gotham." Her hand froze on the doorknob at his words but she didn't look back to him.

"But. . . I'll tell you what I can. And that's, what I'm hiding? The fewer people who know, the safer it is. I'm hoping it. . .well I hope it'll be able to help us with our invasion problem." He stood up and crossed the room to her. Wetting his lips, he took her hand from off the knob and turned her to him. "But if it doesn't, I don't want anything to happen to anyone else because they knew about it." Placing his hand on her cheek, he smoothed his thumbs over the bags under her eyes; like he was trying to brush the dark stains away. " And concerning what to do. You could always. . .stay?"

He could hear her breath speeding up, swear it was in time to his racing pulse. Knowing this could be his only shot, he wrapped his arms around her, her head falling into the dip of his neck – fitting there better than any other girl he'd dated. He sighed, then moved his mouth beside her ear, speaking softly into it, "I know I can be a jerk, Babs, but I was sixteen and stupid, and thought that everything I felt for you was just because you were my best friend. Then when Jason died, it hurt so much, but I knew that if I ever lost you, it'd be worse. If we had gotten together and the worst had happened? I don't think I would have survived."

Dick wasn't sure how long they stood there, holding one another. He could only comprehend a few things; the slight pressure of the necklace he gave her against his chest, the way she kept fiddling with the lanyard around his wrist, how nothing ever felt as right than when he got the chance to hold her like this. He was sure they'd have to have another conversation later, when they had both slept and he wasn't expected to be at the mountain by six-thirty that morning to debrief. But for now, he was content to hold her, in the quickly approaching dawn.

"Babs?" He lifted his head to place a kiss to her temple. "What are you thinking?"

"That. . .I'm feeling a bit. . .Whelmed."

Pulling back enough to look her in the eye, he placed a soft kiss to her lips. "And now?"

"The aster. Definitely feeling the aster."

**A/N: For all the reviews, favs, and follows!**


End file.
